Apparatus for destroying vermin



(NQModeL) M. LYTLE.

APPARATUS FOR DESTROYING VERMIN:

No. 246,620. Patented Sept. 6,1881.

v I" U 7/1 A 1 A lllllllllpl w. PETERS. Phowlilhographer, Washington,n.0,

ator.

NrTED STATES" PATENT OFFICE. I

MURDIOK LYTLE, OF OIL CITY, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR DESTROYING VERMIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 246,620, datedSeptember 6, 1881.

Application filed July 16, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I MURDICK LYTLE, a citizenof the United States, residing at Oil City, in the county of Venango andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Apparatus forDestroying Vermin by the use of either hot water or steam, ofwhich thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in apparatuses for destroyingvermin, in which a portable boiler is used inclosed in a removablenon-conductin g case, and provided with a nozzle, outlet cook or valve,safety-valve, and an eye wherewith to suspend and hold it for thepurpose of inserting it into and removing it from its inolosing-case;and the objects of my improvements are to make the apparatus portable byhand; to make it small enough to be easily handled and used in close orcontracted places, as between the corners and spaces of bedsteads orother furniture, for the destruction of bedbugs, roaches, and othervermin, or in the holes and abodes of mice, rats, and the like; and alsoto facilitate the generation of steam by putting the boiler into acommon stove fire. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustratedin the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of myapparatus. Fig. 2 is a top view of the non-conducting case thrown open,and a horizontal section of the boiler therein. Fig. 3 is a detailsectional view of one end of the boiler with a modified constructionofthe disch arge-nozzle and safetyvalve.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A is the removable inclosing non-conducting case; B, the boiler, and Othe escape.

The case Amay be of any convenient shape, and of a size adapted to thehand of the oper- It is divided along its axis into two equal parts, aand a, which are united by hinges a and when closed are held together bya spriug-hasp, a and pin c This case is lined internally withplaster-of-paris or other suitable non-conducting material, as at D,which may be of any desired thickness, and which completely surroundsthe boiler when the case A is closed, and thus prevents the heat of theboiler from rendering the case so hot as to make it unfit to handle.

The boiler B occupies a central position in the case A, and so preventsone portion of the case from becoming warmer than another. At one endthe boiler is provided with an escape, O, and safety-valve E, which areshown united in Figs. 1 and 2 and separated in Fig. 3. In Fig. 2 theescape consists of a long valve-rod, E, and a nozzle, E The nozzle E isprovided with a non-conducting collar, E and an inuerbridge, 6, intowhich one end of the rod E is screwed, and at the sides of whichpassages, as at c, are formed, which communicate with the main passageof the nozzle. From the bridge 0 the nozzle extends backward with astraight uniform bore, as at 0 into which an extension, 0 of thesafety-valve E is fitted, and thus an expansion-chamber, 6 is formed. Inthis chamber a valve, 0 is provided upon the rod E, which valve islodged in a valveseat, 6, in the extension 6 of the safety-valve. Thevalve 6 is of smaller diameter than the bore of the extension 0", so asto allow the steam to pass into the passages c. The safetyvalve E ishollow, and has a hollow shank, 6', with lateral openings 6 which shank67 fits into a funnel, F, while the valve E is lodged in a valve-seat,f, in the flaring part f of the same.

In rear of the valve E an annular groove, 0", is provided upon theshank, and thelateral openings 0 extend into said groove, in order toprovide means for the steam to reach the valve outside the shank.

The extension 6 is provided with a collar, J, near the valve E, wherebythe valve may be lifted from its sea-t either by hand or by means of asuitable lever, in order to fill the boiler. The funnel F is screwed orotherwise fastened to the boiler, and has inside the boiler lateralopenings f which coincide with those 0 on the valve-shank. Thevalve-shank c has an extension, 6", of reduced diameter, which passesthrough a central opening in the closed end of the funnel, and beyondthe same is provided with a nut, e. Between the end of the funnel F andthe nut 6 a spiral spring, f, is placed, which keeps the valve E incontact with its seat. In rear of the nut e the extension 6 is providedwith two slots, g g, in which a pin, G, in the end of the rod E moves. Awasher, g, bears against the pin G, and between this washer and the nute a spiral roo spring, 9 is placed, which keeps the valve 0 upon itsseat 0 The flaring partf of the funnel may be provided with a hole, 1whereby the boiler may be lifted by means of a book when it is movedfrom the stove to its case; but, if preferred, said hole may be omittedand an eyebolt, I, (see Fig. 3,) fastened to the boiler to serve thesame purpose.

Operation: The boiler is removed from its case and set upon its freeend. The valve E is now lifted up and water poured into the flaringpartf of the funnel. The water finds its way into the boiler through thevalve and the lateral openings 0 and f of the valve and fun nel shanks.WVhen the boiler is sufficiently filled it is placed in the fire of astove near by and allowed to remain until aproper amount of steamgenerated has escaped through the safety-valve and the boiler has steamroom within it, whereupon it is removed by means of a hook and placed inthe case A. The case is now closed upon the boiler and locked by thehasp, and the apparatus is ready for use. When steam is to be blown intoa corner or crevice the apparatus is so held that the water in theboiler will not reach the funnel, and the collar E is pushed forward bythe fingers of the operator. Thus the valve 6 is opened and the boilerdischarges steam through thenozzle E When hot water is to be dischargedthe case A must be so held that the water in the boiler will reach thelateral openings d and j" of the valve and funnel shanks.

To enable the operator to discharge either hot water or steam in anydirection desired, and withoutchanging the position of the apparatus,Ishall in practice provide thenozzle with a flexible or universaljoint.

For the non-conductin g collar E of the nozzle may be substituted anordinary collar and a crank-lever extending to the case A, and thereoperated by the fingers of the operator.

In case the above-described escape is regarded as too expensive thehollow valve E and its spring j" may be dispensed with, and the valve 6will then have its seat in the funnel F,which will also be provided withthe extension 0 fitted into the large end of the nozzle.

Another means of simplifying my apparatus is to have an ordinarystop-cock, K, Fig. 3, with a nozzle and a safety-valve, L. Thissafetyvalve has a shank, I, and is seated in the flaring end at of thefunnel N, screwed into the boiler. The shank l is passed through acentral end opening of the shank n of the funnel, and is provided with aspring, I, which bears against the end of the funnel and keeps the valvem in its seat. The shank n of the funnel N is provided with lateralopenings n, to admit steam from the boiler to the valve, or to admitwater through the funnel into the boiler. For the latter purpose atransverse hole, I, is provided in the upper portion of the valve forthe insertion of a hook to lift the valve while the boiler is beingsupplied with water. An eyebolt, I, is attached to the boiler for thepurpose of thereby suspending the boiler, as before described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The apparatus for destroying vermin, consistiug of a boiler, B,provided with a safetyvalve, stop cock or valve, and a delivery-nozzle,and also provided with a non-conducting covering or case, A, whichinsulates it and thereby permits it to be carried in the hands withoutburning the operator, said case being adapted for the withdrawal of theboiler for the purpose of getting up steam therein, and for thereplacement of the boiler after steam is gotten up, substantially as andfor the purpose described.

2. The combinalion, with the nozzle E of a funnel, F, by which theboiler can be supplied with water, a-safety and filling valve, E, and adischarge-valve, 6 substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The portable steam-boiler provided with a filling-funnel, F, valve E,discharge-valve c and nozzle E in combination with the nonconductingcase, which is made in sections, whereby the boiler can be readilyinclosed and readily removed, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

MUBDIUK LYTLE.

